When We Get Close
by Devilzzz
Summary: Ever Wonder why the FRIENDS are so close? In this story, you'll see when Pheobe was first moving in, How Chandler's annoying jewish roomate was like, and Ross and Carol and how Ross runs into someone unexpected. Then you'll see why.


When We Get Close  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own FRIENDS or any such material. Summary: Ever wonder why the friends are so close? In this sentimental story, you'll see how it is like for Chandler to have an annoying very religious (jewish) roomate, and when Pheobe first moved into Monica's apartment. And about Ross and Carol. Then you'll know.  
  
Note: This is kind of a "Memories We Collect" story. You may want to read that too. And my "What We left Behind" series.  
  
When We Get Close  
  
Thunder doomed Monica as she sat in the sofa during the blackout. Mostly the whole city was blacked out,and Chandler's roomate Matt had sent some jewish candles by, and now it was kind of scary as she cuddled up, in the memory of her old grandmother's house. Sure, it was illegal, but it was all she had left. All that she could do to get out of her Mother's critical ways and her father's proud comments about her brother Ross and his pretty wife.  
  
Monica was breathing hard, thinking of what it would be like if her mother didn't talk to her every second about what Ross was doing and how she could be so much more perfect if she washed her hair more. As lightning threw the sky away, Monica heard a slight sobbing outside of her door. Her spine tingled with frightening thoughts. Would she get robbed?!  
  
Very calmly, she picked up an umbrella just in case and looked out the peekhole. There was a young girl there, leaning against the wall, her head in her lap, her blonde curls thrown about the place. Monica catiously opened the door slightly, and peaked her head out. The girl did not even move.  
  
"Excuse me, are you alright?" was all Monica could say. The hall was very dark except some candles lit around the stairs. The girl moved very fast this time, she got up and backed against the wall. "I am sorry..I didn't mean to frighten you..I just-" Monica started to say. The girl sighed. "It's alright. I'll go outside before I get in any more trouble." said the girl, turning to leave, but Monica stopped her.  
  
"What do you mean?" Monica asked.  
  
"I-this isn't where I live, I just wanted to get away from the rain, the horrible rain." said Pheobe, smiling a bit. Monica nodded and saw the girl's body was awfully dirty with some bits of leaves and dirt. She was wearing a scraped up old pale green leather dress that was cut up to her knees, and her face was more stingy.  
  
"Would you like to come in? You look awfully er..uncomfortable.I am Monica." suggested Monica nicely, her heart beating. She hoped the girl wasn't a criminal,but she seemed innocent enough. The girl nodded eagerly and walked into the small apartment, barefooted.  
  
"I am Pheobe." she said.  
  
"Uh, try not to get dirt in the apartment alright? I just cleaned it." said Monica, trying to say it nicely. Pheobe nodded and sat down carefully on a chair, as Monica washed a mug. "I've got some leftover cocoa left, but it may be slightly cold since the electricity's out and I can't heat it up."  
  
"Its alright. I'd give anything for some cocoa." said Pheobe. Monica turned to her. "Do you live around here?" she asked politely. "I live everywhere. I live on the streets." said Pheobe, her eyes watering.  
  
"Oh." muttered Monica, her face red. "I am sorry." said Monica. "Would you like to freshen up? You can even take a shower, I could lend you some clothes and you can spent the night if you don't steal anything." humored Monica.Pheobe smiled slightly and shook her head. "I won't steal." she promised."Thanks." she muttered, going into the bathroom as Monica put cocoa into the cup and waited for Pheobe to return.  
  
When she did, they drank in silence. It was a strange sight. Pheobe in Monica's too large white bath robe, with her hair smelling like peaches, while Monica sat there, a slightly skinny girl with tangled hair. "How long've you lived here?" asked Pheobe. "Pretty much half of my life." said Monica, putting the dishes away.  
  
"You must be pretty hungry. Do you want some cake?" asked Monica, handing her a cleaned plate with a slice of chocolate cake with vanilla frosting."Thanks." mumbled Pheobe. "So, if you dont mind me asking, why do you live on the streets?"  
  
"My mother killed herself, so I moved into a shelter with this mental guy named Cindy, and then he killed himself, so I live on the streets, mostly to into stores or buildings during bad weather." said Pheobe.  
  
"Oh." mumbled Monica. "Well, why don't you go into the room in the right over there? It still has new sheets."  
  
"Thanks for everything." said Pheobe, smiling.  
  
"No problem." said Monica, her lips cracking into the smile back as Pheobe went into the room and closed the door gently. Monica cleared her throat and went into the bathroom to take her bath. Maybe lightning wasn't so bad after all.  
  
*******  
  
"And then my mother confessed she was christan. And thats how my father divorced her." said Matt, his head down in shame. Chandler rolled his eyes and then said, "Must've been hard." in a sympathic voice with some sarcasm there. "Well, I better get to bed." said Matt, going to his room.  
  
Chandler sat on the couch alone, sighing. Matt was so annoying and too religious sometimes. He talked about god and other things related to his religious beliefs since the five years he'd lived with Chandler. Sometimes when Matt talked about how Jewish were such great people, Chandler felt as if he might have killed Matt. He acted as if Jewish was the best religion in the world. And Matt was sometimes against Christans too, which made Chandler more madder.  
  
Suddenly, the phone rang. Chandler waited to see if Matt had been woken up by it, but he didn't make a sound, so Chandler picked up the phone. "Hello?" he asked softly, trying not to wake Matt. He didn't want his religious lecture again.  
  
"Chandler?" a familiar voice answered.  
  
"Who's this?" asked Chandler, perfectly knowing the voice from his early years.  
  
"Its your mother, silly!" said his mom.  
  
"Mom? Why are you calling so late? And why are you calling at all?" asked Chandler, surprised. His mother gave a deep sigh and said, "I need you to get me out."  
  
"No mom,not this time." said Chandler in exasperation.  
  
"Please, Channie, this is your mom! Please, it won't happen again!" said his mother, pleading.  
  
"Look, I don't want to do this again! I've been wasting money on your jail frees, and I am tired of it! Why don't you call your little girlfriend!" said Chandler. His mother gasped on the other line. Chandler couldn't believe what he had just done. He had stood up to his mother.  
  
"Your father is not to made fun of, Chandler, even if he is a little bastard." said his mother, hanging up the phone. Chandler sighed very softly. He now felt guilty. His mother would have to wait in the police station until she got the nerve to call somebody else. Chandler sat down back on the couch.  
  
Then, he heard Matt praying loudly from the other room. Chandler bit back a pissed off yell and slowly unlocked the door and stepped out, and closed the door very softly before entering Monica's apartment, which was always unlocked. He went inside and saw Monica, hunched up in a couch, wearing a bath towel and eating something.  
  
"Chandler? You almost scared me to death!" Monica hissed. "Why are you whispering?" asked Chandler. "This girl named Pheobe stopped by hungry and homeless, so I cleaned her up and invited her to sleep in the guestroom.Whats up? Matt running his mouth again?" asked Monica, knowingly.  
  
"Yeah." said Chandler, taking a seat on the floor next to her. "You can sleep on the sofa, I need to go to sleep now." said Monica, going into the room. "Hey, Mon?" asked Chandler.  
  
"Yeah?" answered Monica, halfway through the room. "Can I eat your food?" he asked, his lips into a cute smile. Monica sighed and closed the door.  
  
***  
  
"I am sick of this. Now I can't watch the discovery channel on the new fossils they discovered in the Sahara desert." groaned Ross to his wife, Carol. "Get a hold of yourself." said Carol, lighting some candles.  
  
She sat down next to Ross, and they both were covered in blankets.  
  
"It's sure cold." said Ross, cuddiling up to Carol, awkwardly. "It sure is." muttered Carol, before yawning and closing her eyes. Ross tried to sleep but he couldn't. He looked at Carol, who looked like a angel, breathing softly. He got up and donated his blanket toward Carol, and went outside. It was cool air now, but little beads of rain still dripped softly. Ross didn't even have his coat. He just walked, and then he bumped into something soft.  
  
"Sorry!" said a female voice that was oddly, faintly familiar.  
  
Ross looked at the woman, who had blonde hair and a stylish baby blue raincoat. "Rachel?" Ross asked, gaping at her. He hadn't seen her since college.  
  
"Are you Ross?" asked Rachel squinting. "Ross!" she said, regonising. Then suddenly, a short man came into view. "C'mon Rach, I got the car fixed." said the man. "Okay, Barry. Well see you." Rachel said to Ross, and walked away with the man. Ross stared lonelily after her before walking back to Carol's apartment. 


End file.
